Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Memphis Soulphony at the Royal Theatre

I saw it on Facebook on June 21st. (that was yesterday afternoon). Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Memphis Soulphony to play at the Royal Theatre June 22nd. It sounded interesting. A quick phone call to a friend confirmed that we both wanted to attend, never having seen or heard of Dee Dee Bridgewater before. But jazz was offered on this opening night of the 35th annual Victoria JazzFest so a spur of the moment decision was made. Tickets surprisingly were still available so I booked them last evening. Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Memphis Soulphony was a sparkling discovery on this quiet Friday evening.

The Tony Genge Organ Trio, a local group, opened the evening with jazz medleys on organ, guitar and drums. They were lively and entertaining warming up the audience for the exciting performance to follow. Dee Dee Bridgewater, a three time Grammy winner and a Tony Award winner has had a colourful career including acting and directing. Born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1950 her music career began in her high school years and is still going strong. Full of energy, she shared the stage with her back up singers and her band, specifically singing and sometimes dancing with each of them. She, and the Memphis Soulphony, engaged the audience in rhythm and song. We heard some history of jazz (a babysitter of her’s was Carla Thomas, daughter of jazz legend Rufus Thomas), history of The Little Rock Nine in 1957 and just plain story telling. At the end of the performance, she insisted that we all stand up and share in the music and so we did. Clapping and responding to her music, swaying and dancing in the small spaces of this grand opera theatre. We had fun. 

“I like musicians who look at the public. You have to bring 

the music to the largest number. Otherwise, we’ll [the jazz players] 

stay in the clubs. Jazz must be accessible to everyone.”

~ Dee Dee Bridgewater

Author's note: Edited March 12, 2024

A Cat Tale - A Furry Change of Pace

In my wanders through papers and photos I discovered these two pictures. Phoebe was the last kitty I’ve had in a very long line of kitties. She was quite precious and came from an SPCA. My other discovery, a week after I had her with me, was that she was pregnant. Although the SPCA would have taken her back, I was quite enamoured with her and took her home with me. Two lovely kittens were born. One, a big fellow and the other, a bit smaller. It was four o’clock in the morning, in about 2002. I was sleeping peacefully when Miss Phoebe came up on my bed in great distress. The birthing was there and then. Phoebe had two little ones, later named Howe and Marvin. (Phoebe’s looking quite offended with the flash disturbing her.) Marvin, from the day he was born, was hungry, hungry pushing his way in to nurse. Howe, with his big eyes and large Tabby ears, was always just a lovely kitty.

A kitten is the delight of a household. All day long 

a comedy is played out by an incomparable actor.”

~ Champfleury, The Cat Past and Present

World Refugee Day

Today is World Refugee Day, a day for raising awareness about the plight of refugees and displaced persons around the world. Reports this year are that there are more refugees globally than in any year past. Images of families and whole communities moving nomadically across the globe to find safety. Emotional and physical safety, in countries where they can breathe freely and live freely.

I have moved several times in my life, but moving from one place to another, is just not even remotely like the movement of a refugee. I have been able to choose my destination, choose the work I will be doing, choose what grocery store I will shop at and rest at night in safety. A person who is a refugee is ‘a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster’. Discovering the details that each individual, family and community face are challenges that each new country must meet with compassion and concern - not just for the refugees but for their citizens. Refugees are moved involuntarily, they are turned away from borders, they are put in camps and shelters never knowing if they will have enough warmth, food or bathroom facilities. The very fabric of families and communities are torn - not just ripped a little bit in one corner, but violently ripped apart and trashed. Heart and soul. 

It is easy to think of refugees coming only from Europe, Africa or Asia. Even though we welcome refugees and immigrants into our communities, it seems somehow distant. Someone else’s problem. It’s not really that close. But here on our own continent? Unfortunately, there is similar turmoil not that far from our own borders in the past week. I have felt helpless to do anything but push a ‘share’ button hoping that many others will do the same so that the world knows that refugees are not from across the pond, but are here with us as well as the political machinations that create the walls and dams to manage those that are seen as problems rather than human beings in need.

“Taking Mom’s hand, I whispered “Are we really safe, here?””

~ Alwyn Evans, Walk in My Shoes